Congress President Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with party leaders over the Rafale Issue on Friday, 17 August has been postponed. Gandhi was scheduled to meet all Pradesh Congress Committee Presidents, Congress Legislature Party leaders, General Secretaries and In-charge of all states over the Rafale issue.

Pakistan Presidential Polls Slated to Take Place in September

Pakistan's presidential election is slated to take place on 4 September, the electoral body of Pakistan announced on Thursday, 16 August.

Incumbent Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain's five-year term is due to end on 9 September.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said that the candidates could file their nomination papers for the polls to the presiding officers in Islamabad and in the four provinces of the country by 27 August.

Former Indian cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu who was present at the Attari-Wagah border said, “I am going to Pakistan as a goodwill ambassador. I am going there with the hope that relations between our two nations will improve.”

CRPF Rescues 250 Children from Water-Logged School in Chhattisgarh

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) rescued almost 250 children in Bijapur at Chhattisgarh, after the water level in a government school reached up to 5 feet due to incessant rainfall. A battalion of 170 CRPF were deployed who shifted the children to a nearby safe Anganwadi site.

Odisha Urges Kerala to Provide Food to 130 Flood-Hit People

The Odisha government urged its Kerala counterpart to provide minimum assistance like food and water to the people from the state taking shelter at a flood ravaged place, official sources said.

The state government's action came soon after it received an SOS message from one Anil Sethi, who informed that about 130 people from Odisha have taken shelter in a house at Aluva Munnar Road, Odapally, Near Asha Munnar Post Office.

Imran Khan Defeats Shahbaz Sharif to Become Pak's New PM

Cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan defeated Shahbaz Sharif in a one-sided contest to become Pakistan's next prime minister after the grand opposition alliance fell apart over the PML-N chief's nomination for the top post.

SC Rejects Kalanithi Maran's Plea in Illegal Telephone Exchange Case

The Supreme Court dismissed a plea filed by industrialist Kalanithi Maran challenging a Madras High Court verdict setting aside a trial court order discharging him in a case relating to the alleged setting up of "illegal" telephone exchanges.

A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi, Navin Sinha and K M Joseph rejected Maran's plea, following which he, along with his brother and former Union telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and others, would have to face trial in the case.

Ajit Wadekar's Demise an Irreparable Loss: Sachin Tendulkar

Sachin Tendulkar paid tribute to former cricketer and Indian cricket team coach Ajit Wadekar, who passed away in the city on Wednesday, August 15. Wadekar was accorded full-state honours in Mumbai on Friday, 17 August.

“Ajit Wadekar understood how to bring the best out of his players. He was always liked by everyone. I was fortunate enough to see both, a great cricketer and a wonderful person. It is an irreparable loss”, Tendulkar said after paying his last respects to Wadekar at his residence in Mumbai.

Kashmiri Separatists Call for Two-Day Strike over Article 35A

Kashmiri separatists called for a two-day strike from 26 August over the legal challenge in the Supreme Court on the validity of Article 35A and warned of a mass agitation across Jammu and Kashmir in case of any "untoward decision" by the apex court.

Article 35A, incorporated in the Constitution by a 1954 Presidential Order, confers special status to the permanent residents of Jammu and Kashmir, and bars people from outside the state from acquiring any immovable property in the state.

The apex court has listed the matter for hearing in the week commencing 27 August.

Row over Panchayat Polls Has Led to Constitutional Crisis: WB to SC

The West Bengal government told the Supreme Court that the row over the recently concluded panchayat polls in the state has led to a "constitutional crisis" since the tenure of several Panchayats were over and new bodies have not been made functional.

The apex court had earlier stayed the Calcutta High Court order asking the state election body to accept the nomination papers filed through e-mail for panchayat elections and directed the poll panel not to declare in the gazette the names of those candidates who had won unopposed.

AIADMK Postpones Its Executive Committee Meet to 23 August

The ruling AIADMK said it has postponed a meeting of its key decision making body, the Executive Committee, scheduled in Chennai next week.

Party coordinator O Panneerselvam and Joint Coordinator K Palaniswami said the meeting, scheduled originally for 20 August, will now be held on 23 August. The meeting is being rescheduled due to "unavoidable reasons," they said in a statement.

Turkish Lira Resumes Fall After Trump Sanctions Threat

The Turkish currency fell again on Saturday, 17 August, breaking a three-day quiet spell in the country currency crisis, after the United States threatened to impose new sanctions on the NATO country.

The lira dropped about 5 percent, to about 6.11 per dollar, after US President Donald Trump posted a tweet warning the country of more punitive measures over the continued detention in Turkey of American pastor Andrew Brunson, an evangelical pastor who faces 35 years in prison on charges of espionage and terror-related charges.

Rahul Gandhi to Hold Party Meet on Saturday

Congress President Rahul Gandhi will meet all Pradesh Congress Committee Presidents, Congress Legislature Party leaders, General Secretaries and Incharge of all states on Saturday, 17 August at 9.30 am.